Hot Diggity Dawgz and Handrails 2008

The herds came rising out of the valley smog and twisting along hot pavement through the San Bernardino hills to the little shred oasis of Bear Mountain for the fifth annual Hot Dawgz and Handrails. The warm and dusty village bowl hosted crowds, sponsors, and a jib setup with more airtime than you could imagine for a starchy summer day in September. Tent city was splurging with eager shreds and product hounders galore—there were acts going down that rival anything you might have witnessed during spring break o-eight.

The pulse of the lodge began echoing into the hill and the riding soon commenced. There was a long down bar, down flat down, a sizeable jump, and a massive combo box that served up heaps of wall ride options as well as the landing for the jump. A bunch of riders were surprised by the jump option and stoked to get some early season air under their legs while others chuckled “this is too much air for September.” Things got squirrely. The box lent itself to some creative trick attempts from Bode Merril’s backflip to wallride transfer attempts to Ben Rice and Chas Guldemond’s transfers off the jump to the wall ride landing. Leaping off the scaffolding into the drop in was the only way to clear the jump and a handful of riders cleaned up. Examples: Zak Hale’s some smooth back fives, a switch backflip by Guldemond, and some corked sevens by Merril, Pat Milbery and Ben Bogart. Charles Reid and Bode also laid out a few silky backside rodeo seven nose grabs. Stealing the scene on the makeshift jump was Scott Vine’s double back flip that landed him the best trick award and grip of cash.

While the traditional rail attack may have been overshadowed by the ferocious air time, things were not over looked. Jed Anderson greased a handful of combos like a switch frontside 180 to switch tail press, switch frontside 180 out and a 50-50 to front three off the kink. The kid was keeping things clean, consistent, and smooth which caught the judges’ eye. Other young bucks like Johnny Lazzareschi and Zak Hale were slidin’ switch ups and riding rails like it was mid-season. Constest killa Charles Reid stomped a 50-50 to frontside 270 to front board through the kinks of the down flat down.

On the ladies side, a handful were charging the jump, yet it came down to the rails and wallrides. Desiree Melancon linked a front blunt 270 and few clean tail presses to snag a top spot. Leanne Pelosi worked things out with some handplants and wallrides while Marie Huchal and Raewyn Reid dueled it out on the rails. After the sun went down and the dust clouds settled, the party got going here’s how it all broke down: